1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cosmetic treatments for temporarily improving the surface texture of human skin. More specifically, the invention relates to treatments involving the removal of, or that promote the removal of, outer layers of the epidermis.
2. Background Information
Many approaches have been proposed and used for removing blemishes from and for improving the surface texture of the face and other portions of the human body by removing an outer portion of the epidermis. Known approaches include those of a surgical or quasi-surgical nature and include dermabrasion and laser surgery. Approaches of particular interest to the present invention are adhesive exfoliation methods in which an outer portion of the skin is peeled off after being adhered to some substance or another. In some of these approaches (commonly called xe2x80x9cface masksxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbeauty masksxe2x80x9d) a liquid or viscous adherent material is applied to the portion of the body to be exfoliated and is allowed to dry or set up. When the dried or solidified material is peeled off the body some dead surface tissue is removed from the skin. Another adhesive exfoliation technique is generally known as xe2x80x9ctape strippingxe2x80x9d and involves adhering a tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing to the user""s body and then pulling the tape off the body part to remove an outer layer of skin.
Some of the more popular approaches to exfoliation are primarily chemical in nature and involve application of an exfoliant material that attacks the outer layers of the skin. These chemical approaches include, inter alia, retin-A, glycolic acid and alpha hydroxy acid xe2x80x9cpeelsxe2x80x9d. A notable variation on this theme is the use of pre-cut segments of an adhesive coated tape in which an exfoliant material has been incorporated into the adhesive. These products, which include the Sudden-Change(Hydroxy-Patch distributed in the US by CCA Industries, Inc. of East Rutherford N.J., use a generally weak adhesive to hold the active chemical ingredients in contact with a user""s skin for the duration of a treatment period, which may extend over the greater part of an hour.
Of particular note is U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,963 wherein Smith teaches a variety of long term skin treatments, several of which include a regime of five to ten tape stripping steps repeated twice daily in order to chronically disrupt a skin water barrier. Smith also teaches that more severe treatments can be carried out less frequently (e.g., every second or third day) by using a more aggressive skin-adhering adhesive, such as a cyanoacrylate adhesive. Although he discloses several different tape stripping approaches in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,963, Smith states that his tape stripping method has numerous drawbacks, which include a wide range of response of various individuals to tape stripping, as well as a stated need for an expensive laboratory instrument to monitor the process. Moreover, Smith""s teaching is directed entirely towards treatments extending over several months before obtaining discernible results. He does not teach any methods that result in immediate improvements associated with tape stripping.
In another discussion of tape stripping, which is found in a promotional writing for a line of exfoliation soaps and lotions sold by Clinique Laboratories Inc., a single tape stripping of skin on the back of the consumers hand is proposed as a diagnostic test. This test is preferably carried out using a piece of transparent adhesive tape on which the user can view the removed tissue to solely demonstrate the presence of easily exfoliated dead skin.
One feature of the invention is an immediate and visible improvement in skin condition that is preferably obtained by a multi-stage exfoliation method having one of several different end points and providing a margin of safety whereby the user""s skin is not significantly irritated if the user ignores an end point and continues to carry out additional and unnecessary exfoliation steps.
A preferred method of practicing the skin exfoliation method of the invention comprises the steps of: 1) exposing an adhesive coated surface of a portion of a flexible exfoliation sheet that is preferably selected to be comparable in size and shape to a portion of the user""s body that is to be exfoliated; 2) adhering the exfoliation sheet to the portion of the user""s body; 3) grasping an edge portion of the exfoliation sheet and pulling the exfoliation sheet along the surface of the portion of the body so as to separate it therefrom; 4) visually monitoring the amount of skin exfoliated and blemishes removed or substantially reduced; 5) preparing a new exfoliation sheet and repeating steps 1) through 4) until reaching an end point, which may be one of those described in the following detailed description of the invention. Although an adhesive coated surface may be exposed by peeling a portion of a roll of adhesive film from the roll, the practice of this method is facilitated by die-cutting a composite sheet so as to define the size and shape of the adhesive-covered surface portion that is to be exposed when the exfoliation sheet is separated from whatever backing layer is employed. In one variant on the method, only the backing sheet is die-cut so portions of it may be removed from the exfoliation sheet, leaving an exfoliation sheet that may have alignment indicia printed on it. In another variant, the exfoliation sheet is die-cut so that portions of it can be removed from the uncut backing sheet.
In the method described above, several different end point determinations are within the scope of the invention. One such end point determination comprises comparing sequentially removed sheets until the amount of exfoliated skin noted is discernibly less than the amount of exfoliated skin retained on the respective exfoliation sheet employed in the immediately preceding repetition. A second arrangement calls for comparing each removed exfoliation sheet with a comparison sheet that displays a plurality of visually distinct regions corresponding to various amounts of removed tissue. Yet another approach, that is particularly useful when dealing with blemishes such as enlarged pores, some forms of acne, wrinkles and lines, rough areas, flaking skin, excessive epidermal build-up, age spots, accumulated pigmentation, freckles, etc., comprises repeating the exfoliation step and inspecting the exfoliated portion of the body after each repetition until visually observing, after a last one of the repetitions, that the blemish has been removed or substantially reduced in size.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a skin exfoliation kit that includes enough flexible exfoliation material for several iterated stripping operations on a user""s face or other selected portion of his or her body. This kit comprises a supply of exfoliation material that may comprise a plurality of pre-cut, or die-cut pressure sensitive adhesive-coated exfoliation sheets, or may comprise a roll of exfoliation film from which sheets may be cut or otherwise separated as required. In either event, the exfoliation sheets preferably comprise reflective, or partially reflective, surfaces and a generally transparent medical-grade hypo-allergenic adhesive film. Each of the sheets preferably has a size and shape adapted to the predetermined portion of the body. Separating an exfoliation sheet from a backing sheet, peeling a portion of film off a roll in which the backing sheet function had been served by the non-adhesive-coated side of another portion of the roll, or separating one of a stack of pre-cut exfoliation sheets arranged so that the adhesive-coated surface of each sheet was initially covered by the adhesive-free surface of a neighboring sheet, exposes a corresponding portion of pressure sensitive adhesive that had previously been protected. Once one has exposed the working fraction of the adhesive, it can be used for skin exfoliation. In some cases two protective backing sheets are used, with the smaller of two backing sheets disposed over an edge portion of the exfoliation sheet. In these cases, when the smaller backing sheet is removed a handle can be attached adjacent one edge of the sheet. In other cases that portion of the sheet from which the backing layer was not removed can be grasped and used as a handle when pulling the exfoliation sheet off the body.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, an exfoliation kit may comprise one or more comparison sheet(s) displaying a plurality of regions having gradually varying appearance. The appearance of each of the regions is selected to be respectively representative of a predetermined amount of exfoliated skin, and the regions are preferably arranged so that a region representative of a minimal amount of exfoliated tissue at one end of a row and one representative of a maximal amount of exfoliated tissue at the other end. A user may select one of these regions as a target representative of a desired end point. In subsequent exfoliation operations the user can then compare the amount of exfoliated tissue adhering to each of a series of exfoliation sheets as the each sheet is removed and can terminate the process when the visual appearance of the most recently removed sheet matches that of the target.
Another feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of sections of pressure sensitive exfoliation sheets that can be viewed sequentially in to allow a user to monitor progress during a skin exfoliation process.
Preferred methods described herein provide a means of detecting an end point to avoid irritation of the skin while obtaining the best cosmetic results in an iterative exfoliation process, and do so without any need for expensive laboratory apparatus for monitoring.
Although it is believed that the foregoing recital of features and advantages may be of use to one who is skilled in the art and who wishes to learn how to practice the invention, it will be recognized that the foregoing recital is not intended to list all of the features and advantages, Moreover, it may be noted that various embodiments of the invention may provide various combinations of the hereinbefore recited features and advantages of the invention, and that less than all of the recited features and advantages may be provided by some embodiments.